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Postsecondary Education

Workforce Development
commentary
How Work-Based Learning Can Bring Employers and Students Together
Monica Mean, Gabriella C. Gonzalez @GabCGonzalez
Jul 24, 2019
The RAND Blog
Work-based learning experiences help college grads better prepare for work. WBL programs often serve as a workforce pipeline for companies. WBL is also successful at the K–12 level and at
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United States
blog
RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 5, 2019
For busy staff, August's respite from back-to-back meetings, hearing preparation, and late votes is hard-earned. The summer recess also provides an opportunity to get ahead of issues that will resurface in the fall. To that end, we have compiled recent RAND research on topics likely to top the congressional agenda come September.
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Prisoner Reentry
commentary
North Carolina Program Helps Former Prisoners Make It on the Outside
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis, Michelle C. Tolbert
Jul 11, 2019
The News & Observer
To avoid the all-too-common fate of ending up back in prison, incarcerated adults need skills and credentials they typically don't have. Helping them overcome the challenges of reentry is a net gain for them and for the communities to which they return.
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Workforce Development
commentary
How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers
Rita Karam
Jun 6, 2019
The RAND Blog
Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
Dual Enrollment for High Schoolers Can Expand Access to College—with Some Caveats
Fatih Unlu @fatih_unlu_R, Julie Edmunds
Jun 6, 2019
The RAND Blog
Targeted federal investments in high school and college dual enrollment programs can boost postsecondary access for students currently underrepresented in postsecondary education. But thoughtful implementation could be key to ensuring those students are successful in college.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Federal Policy Might Encourage Innovation to Cut the Cost of College
Charles A. Goldman
Jun 5, 2019
The RAND Blog
A big factor in the rise of college costs is the traditional seat-time model requiring undergraduate students to spend a specified amount of time in classrooms, frequently with doctorally qualified faculty. But there are alternative models that could enable colleges and universities to offer degrees more efficiently and affordably.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Income Share Agreements: What's Risky, What's Promising, and What We Still Need to Know
Melanie A. Zaber, Kathryn Edwards
Jun 5, 2019
The RAND Blog
While policymakers debate options to address college affordability and the nation's mounting student loan debt, an alternative education financing model has been gaining ground in a handful of schools and state legislatures: the income share agreement. While terms vary from institution to institution, they are all based on the same premise: The more income a graduate makes, the more they will pay back.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Addressing the College Completion Problem
Lindsay Daugherty
May 9, 2019
The RAND Blog
More than half of students who enter college end up dropping out without ever completing a degree or certificate. Time and money are wasted without the benefits of a degree. While colleges are experimenting with novel techniques to boost completion rates, strategic support from the federal government could further these efforts.
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Postsecondary Education
essay
Pardee RAND Reimagines the Future of Public Policy Problem Solving
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Jan 7, 2019
The Pardee RAND Graduate School is taking a new approach to public policy education. Three new streams of study and action will better align with today's policy needs. Faculty and students will shift the focus from coming up with solutions to actually implementing them.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
The Case for Corequisites: What Are the Ingredients of Success?
Lindsay Daugherty
May 23, 2018
Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness
More than two-thirds of community college students and 40 percent of four-year college students take at least one developmental education course. States and colleges across the United States are experimenting with innovative approaches to developmental education to improve graduation rates for struggling students.
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Labor Markets
commentary
Bridging the Growing College Divide Among Young Americans
Diana Gehlhaus Carew
Apr 13, 2018
The Hill
Over the last decade, more Americans age 25 to 34 earned four-year college and graduate degrees, but the number of those without college degrees also increased. New ways of communicating educational options and outcomes to young people are needed.
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Education Reform
commentary
Ready, Set, College
Lindsay Daugherty
Mar 5, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
With the nation investing at least $1 billion a year in developmental education, states and colleges are rethinking their approaches to reform. Are states moving too fast to mandate developmental education policy? It depends on the policy.
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Sexual Assault
commentary
Here's How a National Database Could Help Colleges Fight Sexual Assault
Coreen Farris, Kristie Gore
Mar 2, 2018
The Hill
At a moment of heightened awareness around sexual violence, America's colleges and universities have an opportunity to lead by example, through a commitment to full transparency about campus sexual assaults and openness to learning from each other's failures and successes.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
National Database Could Help Students Pick College—and Income
Charles A. Goldman
Aug 1, 2017
RealClearEducation
A bill introduced in May would create a searchable database of students' college majors and earnings after graduation. The data could help U.S. students make informed decisions and could also be used to better allocate resources that benefit students.
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Private-Sector School Management
commentary
How to Navigate Public-Private Partnerships in Higher Ed
Rita Karam, Charles A. Goldman
May 26, 2017
RealClearEducation
Universities are partnering with private companies that have the resources to help them compete in the online learning market and maximize student enrollment. Do their different missions—providing high-quality education and making a profit—dilute the quality of the courses?
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Is College Worth the Expense? Yes, It Is
Rafiq Dossani
May 22, 2017
Inside Sources
Many American students struggle with the soaring cost of higher education. And for many college students, debt can have severe negative implications. But on balance, the benefits of a college degree appear to outweigh the costs.
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Workforce Management
commentary
Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers
Susan Guthrie, Catherine A. Lichten
May 5, 2017
Times Higher Education
Mobility has become an even higher priority for researchers since the results of the UK’s EU referendum, Brexit. To continue to attract and keep top talent, the UK needs to understand how and why researchers move between countries.
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Disadvantaged Students
commentary
The Urgent Need for an Education Plan in Mosul
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Mar 27, 2017
Fox News Channel
In addition to restoring Mosul's damaged infrastructure, efforts to stabilize the city must include a plan to rebuild education. Students need to make up years of missed K-12 and university education, and ISIS indoctrination needs to be undone.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Community Colleges Can Be 'First Responders' in Retraining Displaced Workers
Lindsay Daugherty
Feb 16, 2017
The Hill
Many of the occupations with the most opportunities require two-year degrees or certificates. Community colleges play a key role in training students for these jobs and offer a supportive environment for displaced and dissatisfied workers.
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Sexual Assault
commentary
Focusing on Tallying the Number of Campus Sexual Assaults Can Make the Problem Worse
Radha Iyengar Plumb
Jan 6, 2017
Dallas Morning News
Accurate reporting of sexual violence is important. But counting and reporting assaults shouldn't be confused with polices that focus on making sure universities have the resources and support systems they need to help victims.
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Prison Reform
commentary
The Pendulum Swings Back: Support for Postsecondary Education in Prison
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis
Dec 15, 2016
The RAND Blog
Correctional educational programs can reduce incarceration costs and recidivism. But it's critical that former inmates can connect with reentry services in the community to complete their education.
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Teacher Effectiveness
commentary
Before We Measure Teaching Quality, We Should Know What It Is
Lucy Strang
Nov 29, 2016
Research Fortnight
The lack of an evidence base on teaching quality and its impact in higher education points to a need for more research, made more pressing by the imminent roll-out of the Teaching Excellence Framework, which intends to assess and monitor teaching quality at UK higher education institutions.
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United States
essay
Election 2016: The Domestic Issues
Oct 3, 2016
RAND offers a unique take on the big domestic issues facing America: research that is independent, reliable, and rigorously nonpartisan.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
What Does the Stern Review Mean for the Research Excellence Framework?
Molly Morgan Jones, Susan Guthrie
Sep 6, 2016
The RAND Blog
The Stern Review's release at the end of July raised two pertinent questions about the Research Education Framework. What purposes does the REF serve? And does it offer good value for money for the UK's higher education institutions?
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Wages and Compensation
commentary
College Education No Panacea for Worker Inequality Woes
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice
Aug 31, 2016
The RAND Blog
The earnings gap between high school and college graduates has grown with each generation, but even a college degree does not ensure a good income. Just as the nature of jobs for high school graduates has been changing due to consolidation, trade, and technology, the quality of employment for college graduates is beginning to shift.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
The High Cost of Free College
Trey Miller
Aug 1, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Tuition subsidies may encourage institutions to raise tuition, since the government would foot the bill. One possible solution: develop and implement policies that encourage greater productivity from higher education institutions.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
Making the 'Gap Year' More Inclusive and Purposeful
Louay Constant
May 19, 2016
The RAND Blog
High schools and universities should work together, with the support of policymakers, to develop programs that would provide a wider spectrum of U.S. students with the opportunity to take a purposeful gap year—and enter college with some real-world adult experience behind them.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
European Universities Are Pessimistic About Their Room to Innovate
Cecile Hoareau McGrath, Emma Harte
May 12, 2016
Science|Business
Higher education is changing worldwide and European institutions recognise the need to keep up. Are traditional European universities innovating enough to remain competitive?
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Reframing the 'Free College' Debate
Diana Gehlhaus Carew
Apr 14, 2016
The Hill
Framing the future of college as a debate about whether it should be free is a lost opportunity to discuss what's really wrong with higher education in America—and a missed chance to help young Americans regain lost competitiveness in the workforce.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Analysing 'High Performance' Research Units in Higher Education
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Dec 4, 2015
Open Forum Events
The characteristics that are central to high performance are people—as in recruiting and retaining the best—and the culture and values within the department, coupled with the leadership displayed.
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Educational Institutions
commentary
The Shared Savings Model: An Innovative Way to Attack Rapidly Rising College Costs
Trey Miller, Van L. Davis
Oct 22, 2015
The RAND Blog
The challenge facing policymakers is how to lessen the college cost pressure felt by families while incentivizing institutions to innovate to reduce cost and improve quality. What if cost savings from increased productivity were quantified and a portion returned to institutions?
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Civil-Military Relations
commentary
Political Scientists and the Military
Paula G. Thornhill, Rachel Whitlark
Aug 10, 2015
War on the Rocks
For civilian academics interested in bridging the political science–military gap, five recommendations to acquire basic information about the military could encourage improved interaction, better policy-relevant scholarship, and an enhanced policy process.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
What's Next for REF?
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Jul 8, 2015
Open Forum Events
In 2014, the research of 154 UK universities was evaluated, accounting for the efforts of 52,061 academic staff members. For the first time, the impact that the research had on wider society was part of the assessment. As we approach the next assessment period, there is opportunity for discussion to tweak and refine future measures of impact.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Three Cheers for Research Users Engaging in REF 2014
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Mar 31, 2015
PolicyWonkers
In the UK, research outputs from universities are assessed every five years to determine future funding allocations from government. In 2014, for the first time, the Research Excellence Framework included an assessment of research impact. Research users played key roles throughout the process.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
REF 2014 Shows That Research Impact Can Be Assessed
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Mar 27, 2015
Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog
For the first time anywhere, the UK has allocated funding to universities according to an assessment of research impact. An evaluation of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 process reveals that it worked, allowing different types of impacts drawn from a wide range of disciplines to be compared and scored.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
REF 2014 Impact Submissions: Part of a Cultural Shift?
Catriona Manville @CMManville, Jonathan Grant
Mar 27, 2015
Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) has incentivized universities to be more focused on their contribution to society beyond academia. The inclusion of impact as a component of the REF is leading to a cultural shift in the academic sector.
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United States
blog
State of the Union 2015: Clarion Calls on Terrorism, Cyber, Education, and More
Jan 21, 2015
The agenda President Barack Obama outlined in his State of the Union address can perhaps best be characterized as broad, mirroring the range of diverse and emerging issues facing the U.S. in 2015.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
America's College Promise: Meeting the Higher Education Challenge
Trey Miller, Holly Kosiewicz
Jan 19, 2015
The RAND Blog
President Obama's proposal to cover the costs of two years of community college offers hope to many American students, but two key challenges should be addressed: meeting the needs of underprepared students and devising a system to smooth the transfer of credits from one institution to another.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
Cost of College in the United States
Marlon Graf
Jan 16, 2015
EduTech Magazine
For middle- to lower-income families in the U.S., in particular, the costs associated with attending a four-year university are becoming nearly impossible to bear. More and more students are ending up with significant debt after graduating from college, putting financial pressure on them at the outset of their professional careers.
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College-Bound Students
commentary
College Ratings and Affordable Education
Rafiq Dossani
Dec 24, 2014
The RAND Blog
There are reasons to believe American students from the middle- and lower-income tiers aren't making affordable college choices. Can a new ratings system help them make better, more affordable decisions?
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Measuring Impact: How Australia and the UK Are Tackling Research Assessment
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Dec 8, 2014
The Guardian
The UK is the first country to attempt to allocate funding based on the wider societal impact of research, and in 2012, a subset of higher education institutions in Australia ran a small-scale pilot exercise to assess impact and understand the potential challenges of the process. What can be learned by comparing the UK and Australian approaches?
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Multicultural Education
blog
Pardee RAND Promotes Diversity in Public Policy Through Summer Faculty Workshop
Aug 20, 2014
The Pardee RAND summer faculty workshop aims to help scholars who teach at historically black colleges and universities strengthen their approach to research and bring new analytic thinking, tools, and practices back to their students, inspiring them to pursue graduate education and careers in public policy.
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Military Education and Training
commentary
Mending the Marriage Between Colleges and the Military
Paula G. Thornhill
Aug 18, 2014
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Without a concerted effort to change military executive education, military services will continue a misguided effort to buy academic credibility, and some elite universities will continue selling their names. Most importantly, the Untied States will miss an opportunity to hone the critical thinking of its next generation of military leaders.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Four Approaches to Improve Higher Education in India Through Policies
Trey Miller, Megan Clifford
Jun 12, 2014
EduTech Magazine
In India, university enrolment has grown from 10 to 23 million from 2000 to 2013, and so has interest in improving access and quality. A review of research on higher-education policies on affirmative action, financial aid, private education, and vocational education identifies gaps in research on improving access and quality.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Four Issues That RUSA's Plans for Research Universities Ought To Address
Rafiq Dossani
Mar 18, 2014
EduTech Magazine
The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, or National Higher Education Mission, is the key implementing initiative of the Indian government's 12th Five Year Plan for higher education. It promotes three policy priorities in higher education — equity, expansion, and excellence.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
India Embraces MOOCs, but What if It Is a 'Lousy Product'?
Rafiq Dossani
Jan 8, 2014
Business Standard
One hundred engineering colleges around India will rely heavily on virtual instruction under a new program. Given the amount India is investing, it is important to make the best possible use of the complex and evolving Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) model.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Comparing Higher Education Entrance Qualifications Across Europe
Cecile Hoareau McGrath
Nov 27, 2013
The RAND Blog
Given the opportunities for mobility of students and graduates across Europe, there is a need to understand how each country's higher education admission requirements compare, and to consider the long-term effects of those requirements on the skills, innovativeness, and resilience of Europe's workforce.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Making Colleges More Affordable
Rafiq Dossani
Aug 26, 2013
The RAND Blog
President Obama has released a plan to make colleges more affordable for the middle class. The plan calls for linking federal student aid to college performance, capping student loans at 10% of income, and incentivizing innovative instructional approaches to cut costs and improve quality.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
The Cost of Higher Education: The Big Picture
Rafiq Dossani
Jul 12, 2013
The RAND Blog
According to Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan, tuition is becoming less affordable because institutions are not performance-oriented and thus do not use their funding wisely. But would a more efficient system really bring measurable reductions in tuition costs?
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India
commentary
Increase Funds for Quality
Rafiq Dossani
Apr 15, 2013
EduTech Magazine
In India, perhaps if the funds that are needed are put in with the help of philanthropists like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji or Rajendra Pawar, it may be possible to build world class universities, writes Rafiq Dossani.
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commentary
Making Europe a Home Fit for the Next Einstein
Erik J. Frinking, Titus Galama
Feb 22, 2006
Financial Times
Published commentary by RAND staff: Making Europe a Home Fit for the Next Einstein, in the Financial Times.
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